State agencies investigating huge 'pasture party' in East Texas

Updated 9:16 am, Saturday, June 28, 2014

SAN ANTONIO - A party in an East Texas pasture where thousands of people gathered earlier this month is under investigation by a slew of state and local agencies, including the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission.

Van Zandt County officials have estimated between 3,000-5,000 people, many teenagers and some from out of state, attended the shindig in a mowed pasture behind a tree line in Ben Wheeler on June 14. Organizers charged a $5 admission, police say, which adds up to $15,000-$25,000 based on crowd estimates, according to KLTV.

Teenagers organized the farm fiesta via social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #PB3, which stands for "Project Beall 3", according to flyers posted on social media. Two officers were the first to respond, and, unsurprisingly, had trouble controlling the situation.

"We found many, many liquor bottles. We found many, many beer cans. We found that potpourri that people smoke, K2 type substances. We found condoms on the ground. We found packages of those Cigarillos that they use for blunts, loading them up with marijuana. Just hundreds of these type of items on the ground," Van Zandt County Constable Pat Jordan told KLTV.

Gunfire was reported, assaults, and fights causing obvious injuries in photos posted online, according to KLTV.

Local law enforcement, as well as the TABC and the Texas Comptroller's Office are investigating the party throwers, who had no permit, no bathrooms, no security or emergency personnel.

"Our angle is whether there was a sell of alcohol without a permit," said Brian Bond, a lieutenant for the TABC. "I'm sure there are other agencies looking into other things."

Bond said the penalty associated with selling alcohol without a state license is a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail.

Photos posted to social media sites show dinged up vehicles, roughed up teenagers and huge crowds partying in the pasture.

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